title: Quality of life, effort and disturbance perceived in noise: a comparison between employees with aided hearing impairment and normal hearing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims were to compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and hearing handicap between two groups of employees with normal hearing and aided hearing impairment (HI). HRQOL was also compared to a normative population. The second aim was to compare perceived effort (PE) and disturbance after completing a task in office noise between the two study groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Swedish version of the short form-36 (SF-36) and the hearing handicap inventory for adults (HHIA) was used to determine HRQOL and hearing handicap. The Borg-CR 10 scale was used to measure PE and disturbance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hearing impaired (n = 20) and normally hearing (n = 20) participants. The normative sample comprised of 597 matched respondents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hearing-impaired employees report relatively good HRQOL in relation to the normative population, but significantly lower physical functioning and higher PE than their normally-hearing peers in noise. Results from the HHIA showed mild self-perceived hearing handicap.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current results demonstrate that physical health status can be negatively affected even at a mild-moderate severity of HI, and that a higher PE is reported from this group when performing a task in noise, despite the regular use of hearing aids.
authors.affiliation: Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Sweden. huahakan@aol.com
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Widén
authors.forename: Claes
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lyxell
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000295:instrumentation; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult